The Path To Ruin
by Ling San
Summary: Usako and Khameir lived together in an orphanage in Coruscant until one day he is wisked away by a mysterious senator. Years pass before the two see one another again. Little did she know, her love for the new Sith Lord would take her down an evil path.
1. Fear is the path to the dark side

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, it is property of LucasArts and George Lucas. Maul may have been younger and in a different location when he was taken in by Palpatine, but this is my twist on the story. The name used for Darth Maul prior to him receiving his Sith title (Khameir Sarin) was not created by me, it can be found on Wikipedia. Kitzumi Azora and Shizune, however, do belong to me and may not be used without my consent or knowledge.

Has there ever been a time in your life when you just didn't know why you even tried anymore? Yeah, I'm there. Sitting in a cold, grey Imperial cell, I thought back on how I arrived here. Really, it wasn't my fault. This whole ordeal started years ago in an orphanage in the most rundown part of Coruscant. 15-year old me wouldn't be able to hold it together if she knew how things would end. Tsh, story of my life, literally, but it's not just my story. It's his story too. The tragic love story of myself and him. Khameir Sarin, or as he is now called, Darth Maul.


	2. Back Then

I can't remember a time when I wasn't at the orphanage clearly, but I remember the day he arrived like I remember my first kiss or my first brush with death. His Martian red skin awoke some primal passion inside of my young, confused mind. I didn't know how or why, but I needed to get close to him.

I waited a few days, to let the storm of 'the new kid' die down. Once the initial hordes of amazed, noisy, chattering, bothersome kids got bored I made my move. He was sitting alone in front of a hologram unit that displayed pod races. I slid into the bench next to hi.

"I'm Usako," I stared ahead at the fuzzy blue and white racers. A Rodian held up a small trophy next to his fuzzy floating machine, its engine still humming.

He nodded in acknowledgment.

"Can you speak?"

He nodded again, but remained facing forward. I examined him out of the corner of my eyes. He already had a crown if horns around his head though they weren't sharp or well developed.

"Say something please."

"Why," he replied without looking at me.

"If you don't want to talk to me I'll go," I stammered.

I started to slide out of the seat, hoping he would try and stop me, but once it became evident that he wouldn't I stood and walked away.

"How'd your date go," teased my friend Shizune. She would remain one of my closest friends after all of this.

I shook my head and threw myself down on the bed, "he didn't even say anything."

She patted my knee gingerly, but remained silent waiting for me to continue.

"I'm just as bad as everyone else aren't I?"

She chuckled, "no, you aren't, he's just not comfortable here. Give him some more time."

"But I did! I gave him weeks."

"Don't whine about it," she snapped hitting my knee with more force this time.

His monosyllabic reply, his only response haunted me. I couldn't get the sound out of my head. Even the way he formed that simple reply seemed/sounded foreign. I decided, playing the sound in my head over and over, that I would try again in the morning with added zeal.

After a quick shower, I pulled on a pair of slim legged cargo pants and my favorite t-shirt with a dancing Twi'lek on the front. I adored the shirt and only wore it when I wanted to look nice. Childish, I know, but I really loved that shirt. The Twi'lek was a pretty turquoise, my absolute favorite. She was pirouetting, her long lekku swirling gracefully around her.

With one last once over in the tiny bathroom mirror I headed out, my mission fresh in my mind. While in the shower I had plotted out everything I would say. I wouldn't let him chase me off again.

He was sitting alone again, by the window this time, gazing out at the bleak city. Through the slums of lower Coruscant you could see the massive towers of the upper part of the city. Palaces where senators and Jedi lived lavishly, holding masked balls and eating imported foods. Something we orphans would never get to experience firsthand as we were often told.

As I approached, ready to spring a verbal trap, he looked up, staring right into my eyes. I pivoted on my heel and stalked off, annoyed that I had been chased off so easily by the thing I wanted most.

"No, I'm doing this," stopping, I turned back around.

"You are coming back? Did I not scare you enough the first time?"

"I want to be your friend," I blurted. My face grew hot, how dumb was I?

He continued to look at me with a blank expression.

I let out a heavy sigh and started to leave.

"Don't." Another single syllable reply. It was almost a whisper. My leg paused mid-air. Had I imagined that?

"Hm?"

"Don't go. You can sit." He moved over, turning back to the rain pattered window.

I sat, keeping my curious eyes on the side of his crimson face. Searching for some sort of explanation for his sudden desire to open up.

"I don't like it here," he said after a moment, "this planet, this place, those people. I don't like any of it." His lips twisted into a sort of grimace.

I remained silent and continued to watch him.

He glanced up at me, "I'd much rather be home on Irdonia."

"At least you have some place to call home." I smiled sadly, at least he knew where he was from, who his people were. I couldn't say as much.

"I apologize," he said with no emotion.

"You don't mean that."

He nodded, "do you still wish to be my friend?"

"Yes, I do. You have none, so I figured I'd be the first."

He smirked, "did you now? And what if I didn't agree?"

I scowled, turning to the window. Streams of rain raced to the bottom, disappearing in the windowsill.

"Have I upset you again? I was only kidding Usako. I accept you offer of friendship."

He chuckled and a bright pink tinge spread across my skin.

"No, it's okay. You're very sarcastic. I guess I just have to get used to it."

Seven rainy months passed like this. While he didn't become as chatty as Shizune or me, one could certainly say he opened up. I became his voice to the other kids. None of the adults at the orphanage would speak to him, so they all went through me.

I lived for talking to him day in and day out. It was the only thing that kept me going; aside from Shizune, but he fulfilled me in a different way.

One uncharacteristically sunny day, not long before everything went awry, we ventured out of the orphanage together.

"Khameir, do you like me?"

Shizune looked up at me suspiciously, her eyebrow raised out of curiosity.

Khameir, who had been walking ahead of us, glanced back.

"I spend time with you, do I not? Do you think I would talk to you if I didn't?"

"That's not- that's not what I mean." I stopped.

He stopped a few paces ahead.

"Then what do you mean?"

"Are you attracted to me?"

He didn't answer immediately as if considering what he should say. At the time, a part of me thought it was to figure out the best way to let me down, but now, I think it was because he was at a loss for words. Perhaps I had caught him off guard, or maybe he didn't want to say something embarrassing in front of Shizune.

He turned back to face me. His eyes held mine and the other part of my 15 year old mind thought that this meant he was going to take me into his well toned arms and profess his burning love for me. Of course, that didn't happen. At all.

He flicked my forehead.

"I do not know what you mean."


End file.
